The Upside of Falling Back To You

chapter four | wedding??? bells???

"SO, ASTERIA, HOW is everything in your little world?" Dalton asked to continue the dinner conversation. "Last time I checked, you went into computer sciences, correct?"

I nodded, swallowing the bite of lasagna in my mouth. "Yeah, I work at a software company, actually. Code Orange Inc."

"That's all the way across the city, isn't it? Must be quite a drive every morning."

"Uh, I actually don't live here anymore. I moved in with my boyfriend about a year ago," I explained to him. Ronan looks up at me from across the table as I mention the word boyfriend. He had to have let go of us, right? He can't be that attached. "It ended up being really convenient because it's only about a ten minute walk to work."

"Lucas' aunt has a bakery by there, right?" Ronan decides to pipe in.

So the first thing he says to me directly is asking about his best friend's aunt's bakery that he loves as much as I do. Wow.

"Yeah, I always get coffee from there after my shift. And also some lemon bougatsa that I actually must've left in the car..." I look to my youngest brother and see Cas trying to hide a smirk, looking in Griffin's direction. "Or, someone might have decided to have a quick snack before dinner. Right Cas?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

I rolled my eyes.

"Jesper, that's his name, right?" I turned to Adelaide. "At one point I felt like I knew every detail of my life, now I can't seem to keep track of you. Hopefully he's been treating you as you deserve to be treated, like a lady."

I couldn't tell if that was a direct attack at her son.

"He's been awesome, I think we really click." I accidentally look at Ronan when I say that. "He's smart and funny and just a really great person, so I think."

"He's quite the gentleman when we spend time together," Mom adds. "And it was so nice of his family to invite you on their trip to Cuba last Christmas. It sounded like you had a lot of fun. It was a bit lonely without you, though."

"Why isn't he here tonight?" Violet asked. "I would've loved to meet him."

I pushed around the peas on my plate. Ugh, Mom knows I hate peas. I should have just served myself. "He knows how much I missed my family last year, he just wanted me to spend this year with you guys. I'm sure he has plenty to keep him busy."

"It's been a couple years that you've been together, right?" Dalton inquires.

"Yeah, four. It's been the greatest couple years of my life, honestly. I never really thought I'd find someone that would care about me as much as he does."

I keep forgetting that my ex is literally sitting across from me.

I reach for my glass of coke and put it against my lips to take a sip.

"Is there any chance that we hear wedding bells in your future?"

I nearly choke when hearing Adelaide's question, quickly recovering. "I - wow, um." I look over to my parents. "Honestly, I never really thought about my future with him like that. In all honestly, I don't really know if marriage and kids are something I'd want in my life, or at least within the next five or so years."

"But what about our grandchildren!"

"Dad!" I whine. "You have other children. I'm sure one of the is going to screw up eventually." Griff moves to kick me under the table, which I try to stop. "But like, back to the topic, when Jesper and I talk about our plans together, we think of like, travelling or buying a bigger apartment more in downtown, which I kind of always dreamed of. I mean, we'll see where life decides to take me."